1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that includes a recording mechanism unit having a recording unit which performs recording on a recording medium, and an opening/closing unit which is connected to the top portion of the recording mechanism unit so as to be rotatable with respect to the recording mechanism unit and which rotates, thereby opening and closing the top portion of the recording mechanism unit.
2. Related Art
A recording apparatus represented by a facsimile or a printer includes a so-called multifunction printer having an image reading function in addition to a recording function. In other words, a scanner unit is provided on the top of a main body of a recording mechanism unit that performs recording on a recording sheet.
The scanner unit is provided to be rotatable with respect to the recording mechanism unit and is capable of switching between an opening posture and a closing posture through the rotational movement. The scanner unit is held in the closed posture when used normally; however, the scanner unit is to be open for example, while jam clearing is performed in a case where a paper jam occurs inside the recording mechanism unit, or while replacement of an ink cartridge, maintenance other than the replacement, or the like is performed.
Hence, the scanner unit is provided to be able to maintain the opening posture, and a support structure as disclosed in JP-A-2005-189552 is employed as means for maintaining the opening posture in some cases. An image forming apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2005-189552 has a configuration in which a printer unit and a scanner unit are connected by a pair of link members, and, when the scanner unit is in the opening state, the pair of link members form a substantially straight line shape and hold the scanner unit in the opening state.
In the state in which the pair of link members form the straight line shape, the scanner unit is held in the opening state; however, even before the pair of link members form the straight line shape, the scanner unit stands in the opening state due to a load balance in some cases (hereinafter, this state is referred to as an “incomplete opening state). In this case, there is a concern that an operator will falsely recognize that the scanner unit is in a state of opening completely, and then will perform maintenance working on the printer unit while that scanner unit is in the incomplete opening state. It is not preferable that the scanner unit be in the incomplete opening state because the scanner unit is likely to be in the closing state due to the own weight thereof when a small force is applied to the pair of link members.